Upper Right Abdominal Pain

by Jim
(Denver CO)

I had back surgery four months ago with incisions on both the front and the back. I developed an infection after the surgery and ended up back in the hospital for five more weeks after I was sent to rehab. I am still on antibiotics to keep the infection in check. The back pain that lead to the surgery (from a previous fall and surgeries). But the most pain has continued under the lower ribs on the right side. It feels like a bad side ache on both the front and back. The Dr. Has run a CT Scan and blames the pain on constipation. That made sense at one time but this has been going on for two and a half months and I am not constipated. The pain is not continuous but occurs anytime I sit or stand for any period of time.

Hi Jim.

The pain you are describing sounds very much like that resulting from an inflammation of your lower ribs or bone which might not be picked up easily on a CT scan.

People who have had surgery like you described, especially when complicated by infection do develop a condition referred to as costochondritis.

There are many ways this condition presents. While most of the time it clears within days, it could last for several weeks. Are you taking pain killers? If there is no reason you cannot take strong anti-inflammatory pain killers like voltarol, is it something you can try from your doctor?

Should you at any time start running temperature or feeling unwell in any other way, another scan of your upper abdomen and chest may be necessary to exclude collections of infection under your liver area or perhaps in your chest.

Another thing is that, depending on the amount of pull and tear that happened during your operation, soft tissue injury could take 6 or more weeks to heal and for the associated pain to go away.

My thinking is that you should try stronger pain killers, continue to be re-examined and hopefully, in the next few weeks, you should be okay.

Please let's know how things went, if you can.

Good luck and please get well soon.

Dr EdemaAbdopain.com

Comments for Upper Right Abdominal Pain

For 5 years now I have had pain in my URQ. Sometimes its mild and sometimes severe! I had a hida, MRI, ultrasound blood work + a endoscope and many others! Nothing was found. Been to the ER 4 times with extensive tests done and neg also! The pain has moved sometimes from URQ to my middle right ab and then back up to the center or URQ again. I do not have a Gallbladder since they were sure an 80% functioning GB had to be taken out! Sometimes food makes it hurt but, can not tell what type of food! i eat smaller meals and I am in quite decent shape (5 X a week at gym) lifting weights and cardio about 2 hrs a week. I am type 2 diabetic with #'s about 125 to 130 Blood sugar in the morning. I have had bouts with bad gas and recently some yellow stools but then back towards brown again. Usually on the constipated side of things. When I do have some bad gas it feels like it gets trapped in other parts of my stomach (mostly right side) and in the middle to upper part of my back! If it comes out that pain will subside untill another bout (usually within an hour or two) No yellow of skin or jaundauce noticed! Any ideas? Thank you